Jaguars tight ends set some big goals for 2012

Posted by Josh Alper on May 30, 2012, 12:51 PM EST

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The tight end position was supposed to be a strength for the Jaguars last season, but things never really developed that way.

Marcedes Lewis went from the Pro Bowl to 39 catches in a season marred by off-field issues involving the mother of his daughter. Lewis didn’t catch a single touchdown and only had two catches in the red zone. Zach Miller played in just four games and caught four passes before hitting injured reserve with a shoulder injury.

Lewis says his off-field distractions are behind him and Miller is healthy, so both men are now setting their sights on next season. The new offense being installed by coach Mike Mularkey and offensive coordinator Bob Bratkowski has more focus on throwing to the tight ends, something that has Miller thinking big about how productive he and Lewis will be this season.

“We want to be the best tight end duo in the league,” Miller said, via Gene Frenette of the Florida Times-Union. “You look up in New England with [Rob] Gronkowski and [Aaron] Hernandez, we want to be better than them.”

One of the nice things about shooting for the moon is that you’ll still be among the stars if you happen to fall short. The difficulty for Lewis and Miller is that their level of ascent is directly related to Blaine Gabbert’s rate of improvement. Without a major leap on that front, there won’t be a sizable one for the tight ends either.